For years, my favorite drink of choice in the mornings and the evenings has been coffee. But occasionally, enjoy a hot cup of tea, specifically chamomile tea. That is the only tea that I would drink.

A few days ago, as I was about to start organizing some of my photos after dinner, I decided to get a cup of tea. To my surprise, the chamomile tea was gone, nada. And for the first time, I decided to try one of the many other teas we have at home. I felt brave, walked to the pantry, and grabbed some black tea. It was wonderful. A few days later, we were still out of chamomile tea, and I again picked a different tea, masala chai. It was even better than the simple black tea.

While taking advantage of different tea flavors is unimportant, this simple activity made me wonder how many other things I have missed for not wanting to try new things. I consider myself open-minded and a person who seeks new experiences, but I could be more of an explorer when it comes to daily life and work.

I noticed that when I’m home, I often eat the same things, watch the same stuff, spend time the same way, etc. When traveling, I often try new things, spend my time out and about, and work is often better. My experience while at home is what we usually call a routine. A routine in itself is not a bad thing. Having a routine helps me stay focused, productive, and happy. But adding some variety to it helps sparks creativity and even happiness.

You can have a routine and still try a new approach to working or spending your day. My goal is not to stay in my comfort zone, at least not in the areas where I want to experience and learn more. It all starts with small decisions, a different tea flavor, a different approach to a problem at work, reading a book on a topic I wouldn’t choose before, etc. Exposing yourself to new things can expand your world and perspective and make life, even the routine, more interesting.

We are still out of chamomile tea a week later, and it is okay.